Angel in the Rubble
The Miraculous Rescue of 9/11's Last Survivor
by Genelle Guzman-McMillan
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Angel in the Rubble
CHAPTER ONE
September 11, 2001
I gently opened my eyes, reached over to the alarm clock, and tapped the snooze button a few minutes before six. It was still pitch-dark outside my east Brooklyn apartment, but daybreak was steadily advancing, about a half hour away.
As a smile formed on my face, I stretched my arms above my head and kicked the covers off. I was feeling invigorated that day. I'd had an especially deep, peaceful night's sleep.
It was a crisp, clear morning with a cool breeze filtering through the screen of my open bedroom window. The forecast was calling for a gorgeous, late-summer, eighty-degree day; my plans for a long-anticipated October vacation with a coworker to Miami, Florida, were going to be nailed down during my lunch hour; and my boyfriend, Roger, and I, were once again a happy couple. A bitter argument two weeks earlier nearly destroyed our relationship, but we had reconciled over the weekend. We were excited. Our reconciliation hadn't just salvaged our six-month romance; it had breathed a renewed passion into it. We felt more confident than ever that we were meant to be together.
On the morning of September 11, 2001, I had nothing in the world to be unhappy about. Life was good. Really good.
I took a short but warm and relaxing shower, then quickly brushed my teeth and combed through my closet for a cute outfit. My blissful mood dictated my attire as I slipped on a lilac blouse, my favorite black skirt, and two-inch high-heeled shoes. Since my days as a child on the Caribbean island of Trinidad, I loved to dress up. It didn't matter if I was going to church or playing outside with friends—taking care of my appearance was always important to me.
After applying the finishing touches on my makeup and hair, I took a deep breath and paused for a few seconds in front of the mirror to validate that I looked as good as I felt: beautiful, confident, energized. I smiled. Yep, I was ready. I clasped my watch on my left wrist, flipped off the bathroom light, and hurried into the kitchen to snag my keys, purse, and sunglasses off the table. I pressed the glasses firmly against my face and bolted out the front door, swiftly making the short jaunt through the radiant sunshine down Fulton Street and arriving at the train station in the nick of time to board the 7 a.m. train into Manhattan.
Overall, it was a pretty typical Tuesday morning. The only thing out of the ordinary was that Roger, who normally rode with me, was already in the city, having left much earlier than I to get a jump on some extra work he had at the office. Other than that, it was the usual, uneventful ride with the same unassuming strangers who accompanied me each day.
From ANGEL IN THE RUBBLE by Genelle Guzman-McMillan.
© 2011 Genelle Guzman-McMillan. Reprinted by permission of Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
Angel in the Rubble
With the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center now upon us, the last of the living to be rescued from the rubble shares her account of being trapped in a concrete “coffin” for twenty-seven hours and reveals the amazing presence that helped her through the wait.
Like so many of us affected by the evil actions against America on September 11, 2001, Genelle Guzman-McMillan remembers where she was when the towers came down: Buried and helpless under tons of debris, bargaining with God as she faced what she believed was death. But while she prayed with her heart, she also scratched and dug her way to the surface. Hours later, her hand finally broke through and was spotted by Paul. He sat with Genelle, holding on to her hand and offering support and encouraging words until rescuers pulled her free. Safe and alive, the “last survivor” to be found, all she wanted was to meet the man who had gotten her through the last hours of her ordeal; but when she asked rescue workers where he was, they had no idea who she was talking about. Was there really a Paul? Or had God sent an angel to look after her, as she explains in this compelling, faith-filled, inspiring memoir.
Hardcover : 240 pages
Publisher: Howard Publishing Co. ( August 02, 2011 )
Item #: 13-451547
ISBN: 9781451635201
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.25 x 0.6inches
Product Weight: 10.0 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Copyright © Bookspan. Crossings® is a registered trademark used under license. Unauthorized use prohibited. All rights reserved.
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